LAZISMU: Islamic Philanthropy Getting Stronger

PPIM.UINJKT.AC.ID – 

“Islamic philanthropic movements in the public sphere are getting more popular within the last one or two decades,” Hilman Latief, Chairman of Muhammadiyah’s philanthropic unit LazisMu, said on Friday (28/8) in a virtual seminar series of #ModerasiBeragama (Religious Moderation) themed “Generosity and Philanthropy in the Framework of Religious Moderation”.

The seminar was organized by the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) of the the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta, in collaboration with the university’s Social Trust Fund (STF), through Convey Indonesia program.

Actively studying philanthropy, Hilman saw that the philanthropic movements in the world, especially among Muslims, had become more popular since the 9/11 attack in New York City. Since the incident, Islamic Charity had become a center of attention by various stakeholders, including policy makers and think tanks in the U.S. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) also established an Islamic philanthropy.

“There is a new and strong perception that emerges among people towards Islamic philanthropy in many countries, both domestically and internationally,” said the lecturer from the Muhammadiyah University in Yogyakarta.

According to him, philanthropic activities were not only popular in the international realm, but also in the domestic. In Indonesia, for instance, people began to show their generosity during the Aceh Tsunami in 2004, with many religious-based philanthropic organizations demanding professional management. Before that, Hilman said, most philanthropic organizations did not have any professional management, including Rumah Zakat and Dompet Dhuafa.

“One interesting point about the emergence of philanthropy in the public space is that there is a shifting perception politically. [People] initially overreacted, with many ordering the philanthropy be frozen, but now they are open to be engaged and involved in such activities,” Hilman said.

Islamic philanthropic movements had also undergone a process of moderation, proven by the awareness of Islamic philanthropy actors to be concerned with issues related to public interest. One example of discourse among philanthropy players was that previously, they tended to compete with each other, but now they did more cooperation. Philanthropic activities did not only about Muslim organizations but also interfaith groups.

“The terms attached to religious or Islamic-based philanthropic organizations are the framework of ‘giving, volunteering’, which are closely related to humanitarian activism. One concept is about financial inclusion, in which the organizations are expected to be inclusive, more open, and more active in the humanitarian activities,” said Hilman, who also wrote an article entitled “Minority Groups and Islamic Humanitarian”.

The virtual seminar on Religious Moderation is held every Friday via “Convey Indonesia” official Youtube channel. Besides Hilman, the discussion that was moderated by Convey Indonesia Team Leader Jamhari Makruf also presented several figures who were actively involved in philanthropic activities, such as Abdur Rouf (Executive Director of NU Care, LazisNU), Amelia Fauzia (Director of STF UIN Jakarta), and Haidar Bagir (Founder and Director of Mizan Group). 

Writer: Tati Rohayati

Editor: M. Nida Fadlan